To tell the truth, I don't really watch enough TV to know these new ones (though I have watched Kappa Mikey before, I liked it), but I AM a fan of Spongebob, though I don't watch it that often anymore. A lot of people say it's stupid, but then again those same people watch programs that I think are stupid. -shrug-
But yeah. My favorite US cartoon is Spongebob Squarepants.

Tom and Jerry is the best cartoon ever made IMO. It is so violent and basically the same thing over and over again but.....it was the FIRST thing that was basically violent and the same thing over and over again (This only counts for the old classic ones, the new ones suck).

Now that I think of it, a lot of cartoons were really good but than it made too much money and they fucked it up. For instance, Tom and Jerry (new has such a crappy animation and drawing style! A disgrace to the name) or what about Dexter's Laboratory? (Same thing, animation is way worse and drawing style just plain crap)

Anyone know where Medabots was made? Personally I like that show a lot and has a great style to it. If I had to guess I'd say it's Asian.

Good luck with studying everybody and I hope one day I will be able to pick it back up.

I'm to the point where I don't really care for the mainstream American comic books anymore. I do read a lot of the independent stuff and still enjoy it, but frequently I find myself becoming either bored or bogged down by the dialog. I read somewhere that manga has about 75% less dialog and depends a lot on visuals to get the story across. That's what really gets my attention.

As for animation. I am one of those unfortunate souls that lives in a town where Cartoon Network is not available on the local cable system, so I have to make do with Nickelodeon or Fox for my cartoons. I personally find Danny Phantom & the Fairly OddParents to be a couple of the best cartoons on right now. Some of the classic Warner Brothers and MGM shorts are timeless classics. However, there are a lot of things that came out in the 1960s and 1970s that make me want to poke out my eyes. I won't go into detail, because I would probably cheese off a bunch of you. I will admit that I have seen Teen Titans and liked what I saw there. It's American, but there's a lot of anime-inspired feel to it, and that's quite all right.

Another of my favorites (which is no longer on TV, but I have season one on DVD) is Batman Beyond. I don't know what it was about that one, but I enjoyed it a lot and was very happy to see the DVDs. I guess I liked the style, which was also used for Batman/Superman and Justice League. I definitely like the story with that one and did also manage to get the entire comic book run of Batman Beyond. Yay me.

Well, I think I've babbled enough here. Time to work on my Japanese lessons some more!

wow, all of these Nickleodeon viewer post and not yet a thumbs up for Avatar: The last Airbender of current American cartoons, Avatar is the best.

for old-school stuff, the totally violent Tom & Jerry can't be beat, just avoid the weirdo '60s ones with the strange music... and Coyote & Road Runner holds a strong second place. the next of the best are: Rocky & Bullwinkle, and The Pink Panther.

recent best cartoons have been from Genndy Tartakovsky: Dexters Laboratory, Samurai Jack, The Powerpuff Girs, Clone Wars... i really like his style....

and if you're old enough to remember Johny Quest... the Cartoon Network show The Venture Brothers is funny enough to bust a gut.....

zengargoyle wrote:and if you're old enough to remember Johny Quest... the Cartoon Network show The Venture Brothers is funny enough to bust a gut.....

Oh... I forgot about the Venture Brothers. You're right... it is funny enough to bust a gut! And the guy behind Samurai Jack is a genius. I guess not having Cartoon Network means I forget about those. Stupid small town cable company!!!! *raises fist and shakes it at the cable company*

The most spectacular aspect of the Samurai Jack series is Tartakovsky and company's ability to tell a story with minimal narration and dialog. The "look what I can do with a sponge" art is reminiscent of days gone by and certainly adds to the unique flavor of the show. The show should also be applauded for its ability to appeal to many demographics.

There is also something to be said about Sealab 2021. Though the show failed to deliver past the first few seasons, in part because of the death of an irreplaceable voice actor and its general lack of direction, it's notable because of its ability to convey a message amidst the obscure and often twisted humor. Of course, I doubt that many of the burned-out, half-baked target audience grasped much of the meaning, but its inclusion is refreshing. The use of characters and animation from the 70's show Sealab 2020 also set it apart from a number of the other shows aired on Adult Swim. Well, with the exception of Space Ghost: Coast to Coast, that is.